


Breaking & Entering

by rememberednoah



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Breaking and Entering, Cute, Fluff, M/M, Office, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-17
Updated: 2015-01-17
Packaged: 2018-03-07 21:25:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3183710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rememberednoah/pseuds/rememberednoah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Bucky is a werewolf who turns human only on the full moon and has the habit of breaking into offices. In which Steve doesn't quite understand how a wolf ends up at his office once a month.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breaking & Entering

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by this [ post](http://dajo42.co.vu/post/99443772454/reverse-werewolves-wolves-that-turn-into-confused/). I was also helped out by my friend [ Vivian](http://vivianackles.tumblr.com/) (who gave me some ideas and pestered me until I finally finished writing this).

Bucky wasn't particularly good with carrying out human activities. In truth, he couldn't be blamed for this. He was only human once a month, and even that only lasted a few hours. It wasn't something that had ever been in his control. Ever since he could remember, it had happened. 

He could feel the change coming long before it actually happened. It felt like an itch under his flesh that he could not scratch. He spent hours upon hours scratching himself but there was no satisfying the itch. He slowly crept to the conclusion of what was going to happen. The change, monthly and somehow always unexpected, was coming. 

He waited it out impatiently. He already felt excitement over what was coming. He wasn't exactly sure of what to do after it came but he knew there was some joy to it. He sat, staring up at the sky and its changing colors. He kept waiting, finding that he was getting jitters. Those were the tedious hours, the ones where he knew the change was coming but couldn't do anything to speed it up. 

When the change finally came, it wasn't particularly pleasant. He felt as every bone adjusted and changed accordingly. The change was painful, to say the least, and he was always hyper-aware of how his bones resized. It was his least favorite part of the whole experience. . . But then came the best part. 

He got to his feet and, like always, stared down at his new body. It was stark naked and as lean and muscled as he last remembered. He barked out a laugh that was joyous and full and savage and began to run. His senses weren't that good in his new body, but his mind was keener than ever. He could remember perfectly how to go to where the other humans were. He craved so badly to be back in their world, even if he knew it wasn't for long. 

Just at the very edge of the forest, he stopped, picking up the backpack that was always left there for him. He never could remember who left it for him. He just knew it always contained the _clothes_ humans wore. Just on the verge of jumping up and down with the adrenaline pumping through his veins, he threw on the clothes almost violently enough to tear them right up. 

He didn't bother with looking at himself again. He ran, instead, with purpose towards the center of the town. He tried to visit the town every time he was in human form, the only time he had not visited the town was because he had been wounded.

The center of the town was the busiest part of it all. There were many tall buildings around and people rushing from one place to another. It never seized to mesmerize him. All the humans rushing around, they captivated him like nothing else ever could do. They all seemed to have a purpose, a reason as to why they were going wherever they were going, but he could never understand why. 

With wide eyes, he stared at the lights and at the people. He ran up to some of them and smiled and waved but they all turned away from him with apprehension. This didn't deter him though, he plundered on with the crazed determination only his kind possessed. 

A sudden movement caught his attention and he turned to it. He noticed a load of people leaving the tallest building in the town. Curious and ever excited, he ran towards the doors and pushed inside against the tide of people. Some of them complained but their words were meaningless to him. He laughed and broke yet again into a run. He burst into an elevator that was about to close and in a frenzy pushed all the buttons to all the floors. 

Giddy, he jumped each time the elevator dinged as it stopped on each floor. He peered into the hallway of each floor before he decided not to step out. He did this quite a few times until he saw the door of an office ajar. Satisfied, he stepped out of the elevator and rushed to the office with the slightly open door. 

When he stepped inside, he saw what most would consider an organized office. His eyes fell on the shiny computer and he threw himself savagely against the chair behind the desk. He stared at the computer then, unsure of how to operate it. He squinted at it and haphazardly pressed all the buttons he could find. After a few seconds, the screen lit up in front of him. He let out a holler and then begun the task of figuring out what to _do_ with it. 

At last, when he was frustrated and bored, he sped out of the office and made his way outside. He was hungry and in search of a place where he could find food. He sniffed around, on the hunt for food. He tended to forget how it was he could find food when he was in town. He was too used to having to hunt down his meals. 

It took him a few minutes, but at long last, he found a coffee place. The sharp scent of coffee blasted through his senses and he was immediately pulled towards it. He stepped into the coffee place and allowed his senses to guide him. The most appealing of the scents was that of a cup of coffee and a sandwich. 

With little regard of what he was doing, he snatched the sandwich off the hands of someone. He took a huge bite of it while the original owner of the sandwich got up and shared a few key words with him. He ignored the spoken words and stepped towards another table. He grinned when he found a coffee cup that smelled incredibly appealing and stole this too.

Before anyone could bother to catch up with him, he ran out while basically inhaling his new food. Cheerful laughter bubbled from his chest as he heard shouting behind him and sensed some very bad natured hand gestures. He didn't care. 

He kept running until he found himself in an alley. He discarded the cup and the napkin of the sandwich on the floor and focused instead on a door. It looked like it was about ready to fall from its hinges and he made his way to it without hesitation. He wasn't scared by much and that door didn't seem frightening at all to him. He pushed it open with a gentle shove and was instantly intrigued by the particular smell in the air. 

He sniffed around, walking until he found the source of it. The very same moment he found the source of the smell, he noticed there were a few people around. None of them paid him much attention, for a second they stared at him, but then their attentions drifted elsewhere. This very action let him know that they wouldn't bother him, so he took a few more steps forward. 

With big eyes, he looked at a guy who held what everyone else would call a bong but which he had no idea what to call. He sat beside the guy and stared at the contraption until the guy offered it to him. The guy didn't ask him anything, he offered it up like it was Christmas dinner and the bong was a bowl of salad. 

Bucky took it without question. He turned it around in his hands, wondering how it worked and what he should do with it. The stranger stared at him for a while before he laughed airily and helped Bucky use the bong as if he were teaching a child how to write. 

It didn't take long for Bucky to begin to giggle. The sound left his throat without his control and he couldn't contain it for quite a while. The giggles burst out randomly and he tried to swallow the sound but he found that that only managed to make him laugh more. When he finally managed to stop, he smoked some more before ending up giggling even more than previously. Still in a fit of laughter, he handed the bong back to its owner. 

He got to his feet and everything looked different yet the same and he began to feel surprisingly floaty, like he wasn't really substantial. The feeling only amplified his need to laugh and he ran out of the place with renewed joy. 

Once again he was hungry, this time inexplicably so. He ran back to the building which held the office he had broken into, and began a thorough search for anything to eat. He burst through different offices and scavenged for any scrap of food. A few times he hit jackpot, finding a fridge with some forgotten food. He ate it like his life depended on it and still he looked for even more food. 

As he made his way up, he found a bag of Doritos. He opened it with desperation and breathed in the cheesy scent. He laughed and took his time in eating its contents. With a wide grin, he made his way back to the original office he had broken into. He plopped down on the chair and ate the rest of the Doritos with a smile of satisfaction on his lips. 

He hummed softly and stared out the only window in the office. He was still hungry but now that he had sat down, he began to feel his eyes droop. He wanted to move, get up, not waste a second of his human shape, but his body wouldn't let him. His thoughts swam in thick fog and he slouched deeper into the chair. A shiver ran through him and instinctively he grabbed the fabric he felt behind him. He draped it over his shoulders and allowed his eyes to close. Sleep didn't come instantaneously, but once it claimed him, he was long gone.

* * * * *

Steve was on his way to work. He hadn't slept well during the night, his thoughts wandering. He felt like there was _something_ he had to do but couldn't remember what. The whole thing tormented him through the night and he barely got a wink of sleep.

He was groggy and slow as he stepped into the building he worked in. Lethargically, he made his way to the elevator and waited for it to arrive. It came and he stepped in and automatically pressed the button for his floor. He leaned against a wall and his eyes fluttered shut for a second. He was just about to _really_ fall asleep when the elevator came to a stop with a loud _ding_. He jumped out of his skin and made his way out before the doors closed. 

Rubbing his eyes, trying to tear away the sleep, he opened the door to his office. He didn't instantly notice anything particularly out of place until he stepped right beside his desk. He heard the crinkle of something and stared down at the floor. Under his foot, he found an empty bag of Doritos. He grabbed it and stared at it quizzically. He was pretty sure he _hadn't_ eaten Doritos and he certainly wouldn't have left the empty bag thrown on the floor. 

Ever more confused, he threw away the bag and made his way back to his desk to sit down. If someone had broken into his office, they clearly hadn't taken anything so he decided to brush it off. In the state of deprived sleep he was in, he didn't much care if someone truly had broken into his office. 

Just as he was about to sit down and get to work, he noticed a mass of _something_ already sitting on his chair. Startled, he jumped back and stared. His heart began to beat rapidly as he looked, incredulously, at what seemed to be a wolf. He lay on the chair, curled up in the shape of a ball, the coat of Steve's suit loosely draped over him. 

"What?" He stared down in shock, wondering if he was in fact imagining the _wolf_ who was laying on his chair. He stared at it for a couple more seconds before he ran out of his office. He stepped into the nearest office and pretty much shouted, "Natasha, am I crazy?"

The red-head looked up at Steve seriously. "Do you want me to answer that honestly?" 

Steve, annoyed at her lack of understanding, grabbed her wrist and dragged her to his office. Angry at the sudden motion, she flicked her wrist out of his hand and began to walk ahead of him. She glared at Steve for a second before she opened the door to his office. 

Immediately, she saw what he had meant. She saw the wolf who lay comfortably sleeping on the chair. She cocked her head to the side and approached it with caution. Under careful observation, she noted it was, in fact, alive. She turned towards Steve and spoke, "When were you going to tell me you got a wolf as a pet?" 

"Natasha," he said, giving her a serious and unamused look. This was anything _but_ funny to him. There was no possible way a _wolf_ could have gotten in his office, that sort of thing didn't just _happen_. 

"Well, there's only one thing to do." She shrugged and grabbed the phone. She then proceeded to call animal control who was as surprised as Steve was at hearing there was a wolf sleeping peacefully inside an office. 

"Done. You welcome. They'll be here soon. Maybe you can bond with your new pet before he's taken away," Natasha said, giving him a pat on the shoulder before stepping out of the office. 

He was about to complain and demand the reason why she was leaving him alone with a _wolf_ , when said animal let out a sound of satisfaction. It was a soft purr-like sound that made Steve freeze in place. He waited for the wolf to wake up, attack him and eat him alive, but none of that happened. The wolf settled a bit more comfortably on the chair and released a soft puff of breath. 

Steve felt like his heart was about ready to jump out of his throat and abandon him forever. He wanted to run out of the office but felt it was his duty to stay there and make sure the wolf didn't leave and start rampaging throughout the building. 

He stayed just where he was, standing beside the door. The wolf made no indication of having the slightest clue he was there but that gave Steve little comfort. He looked at the wolf with skepticism. It looked like it was resting peacefully, its chest rising and falling steadily. Its fur was pitch black and looked surprisingly clean.

Steve took a hesitant step towards the wolf. Slowly, the wolf opened his eyes. Their color was a stormy gray that looked at Steve with far more intelligence than he liked. His heart began to slam against his chest and he tried to tell himself not to panic. Wolves smelled feared or whatever, he told himself. 

The wolf didn't move. He kept his steady gray gaze on Steve, as if waiting to see what the blonde would do. Steve didn't do anything. He didn't move or pretty much breathe. 

Steve only felt relief when the men of animal control came to pick up the wolf. The animal didn't protest at all. He joined the men with a little hop in his step and turned to look at Steve one more time. Steve couldn't help but feel like the wolf was either trying to tell him something or was studying him. It freaked him out, that's all that really mattered. 

The second the wolf was out of sight, Steve felt like he could breathe once more.

* * * * *

Bucky broke into Steve's office once a month for three months. Although, really, it shouldn't be called breaking and entering. The door was never locked and all Bucky did was _enter_. But still, his presence wasn't exactly desired and that meant that what he was doing was still illegal. He never managed to care, it happened only once a month, it couldn't be _that_ much of a bother.

The second time Bucky broke into Steve's office, Steve was almost completely sure he was having a nightmare. It couldn't be possible that the same wolf from the previous month was in his office. It _couldn't_ be possible. Yet Steve knew just by looking at the wolf that it was the very same one and it was in _fact_ in his office. 

Steve looked around to see if there was anything out of place. His office looked like it always did except there was a pile of papers scattered on the floor around the desk. Some of the papers looked torn while the others just looked like they had been lazily thrown around. Steve looked at the only one who could be guilty of it all, the wolf, and saw that it was resting tranquilly. Steve's coat jacket was once again thrown over the shape of the wolf, as if to keep it warm. 

He had let out a strangled sound and walked to Natasha's office. He stepped inside without knocking and she looked up at him with an unamused expression. "What, Steve?"

"Come to my office for a moment," Steve said, sounding far more casual than he felt. 

She did as he said and went into his office. Her eyes fell on what, she too, recognized as the wolf of the previous month. "Oh, so you decided to keep him after all?" 

Steve glared at her but she seemed unperturbed by the look. She stepped towards the wolf and once more made sure it was still breathing. "Have you called animal control again?" 

"I was just about to," Steve said, knowing it was the first thing he should have done. The only reason he hadn't was because he felt like he had to share this with Natasha. He needed her to see the impossibility of it all. How was it that just last month the wolf had been picked up by animal control yet it was back again in his office? The thought made Steve get a headache. 

Steve, resigned to the situation, dialed animal control. They seemed startled to hear the wolf was back in Steve's office but they promised to be back there soon to pick up the wolf. 

"If this keeps happening, you might just start liking the wolf," Natasha said, sending him a devilish grin. 

Steve pursed his lips and held back all the words he wanted to spit out. She laughed like she had some sort of idea of what he wanted to say, and left him alone in the office. 

By this point, the wolf was awake. He sat up in the chair and stared straight on at Steve. The blonde shivered at the sudden focus on him. The wolf unsettled him (if he was being modest) and he didn't quite like being stared by it.

"Don't eat me and we'll get along just fine, okay?" Steve said, his voice wavering as he met the gray eyes of the wolf. 

The wolf cocked his head to the side for a moment, inspecting Steve a bit further, before he lay back down on the chair. Steve relaxed slightly when this happened and counted the seconds as he waited for animal control to come to his rescue. The wolf paid him no mind, like he too was waiting to be picked up. 

Animal control did not come soon enough, at least not for Steve's taste, and then, when the wolf was gone, everything went back to normal. Steve picked up the mess in his office and went back to work.

* * * * *

The third time Bucky broke into Steve's office, he was high on adrenaline and well aware of everything around him. He ran to the office door and put a hand on the doorknob before he paused. He looked at the door closely and saw there was a name on it: Steven Rogers. He didn't read the title it read below, he just pushed inside the office and tried to memorize the name.

Bucky wasn't sure why he broke into the same office again. He usually did all sorts of things when he was human but now he found an odd sort of comfort in breaking into that _particular_ office. Sure, he did all sorts of different things _before_ , but he always ended up at the office. 

This time, he walked up to the window of the office and opened it wide. He poked his head out and looked up at the sky. The full moon was out in full view and he couldn't hold back a loud and wild howl. He laughed when he was done, surprised at his own behavior, and looked bellow him. He was on the eleventh floor of the building and he could only tell the difference now. He saw that there were still a few people wandering around but they weren't as many as when he first came into town that night. 

He peered further to his left and the wind tousled his lose black hair. He laughed and closed his eyes, letting the wind slap against his face and tousle the black strands of his hair. When he felt the tug of the soon to come change, he closed the window and looked around the office with determination. 

He found a discarded hoodie and picked it up. After basically shoving his torso out the window, he felt rather chilly. He sat down on the chair and tried to pry as much warmth from the hoodie as possible. He closed his eyes and waited. Like the nights before, he was long asleep by the time the change came.

* * * * *

That very same morning, Steve casually made his way to his office. He still hadn't figured out the pattern of Bucky's visits. He just knew it happened once a month and he had begun to _hope_ it wouldn't happen again. Of course, Bucky spoiled any chance of this happening and he spoiled it on purpose.

When Steve stepped into his office that morning, he found the wolf lying on top of his desk. His mouth gaped open and he wondered how in the hell the wolf had managed to get there without scratching anything. The whole office looked perfectly in order except for the giant wolf laying in his not so big desk. Steve had the urge to pinch himself to make sure he was awake but he figured he probably was. 

He pulled out his phone from his pocket and, again, called animal control. He only said his name and said, "He's back." 

The man who answered his call knew what he meant. Everyone at animal control had heard by now of the wolf who kept breaking into Steve Rogers' office. They actually fought over who would pick up the wolf. The wolf tended not to be aggressive and the men wanted to see with their own eyes the wolf. He had become a sort of myth that could only be proven with visual contact. 

Steve didn't know about the arguments that went on in animal control, and it was better that way. He would have been pissed off if he heard it was an _event_ to go pick up the wolf from his office. 

The blonde sighed, resigned, when he glanced once more at the wolf. He looked for Natasha but found she wasn't in her office. Upon closer inspection, he found her searching for something in the only fridge on their floor. She was looking pretty pissed off at something as she searched the depths of the fridge which was almost empty. 

"Someone stole my strawberries," she said, sensing Steve's presence beside her. 

"He's back." He didn't have to bother to explain what he meant to her. She would know, automatically. 

She laughed, a loud and airy laugh. "Are you sure you didn't adopt him at some point? At the very least he decided his new home was your office." 

"This isn't funny, Natasha. How is he breaking into my office? He's a _wolf_ , he can't open doors. It's not funny that _none_ of the cameras ever see a wolf hanging around the rest of the building." Steve was borderline panicking. Even though he by now understood the wolf wouldn't hurt him, he wanted to understand the logistics of it all. It didn't make any sort of sense. He wanted a logical explanation as to why he monthly found a wolf in his office. 

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, Steve. The wolf is obviously smarter than you are. So, prove to it you're _smarter_." She raised an eyebrow at him challengingly and he let out a sound of frustration. She shrugged and gave his shoulder a pat. 

"Go keep an eye on your pet, Rogers," she said before sauntering towards her office. 

Steve figured he had no other choice.

* * * * *

Another two months had gone past and Steve still _hadn't_ figured out how or why it was that the wolf kept breaking into his office. He was losing his patience, at his own lack of understanding, but he figured he couldn't blame the wolf. It wasn't like the animal could tell him _why_ he was in Steve's office.

To Natasha, it still remained as a joke. If Steve didn't know any better, he would have thought she was growing attached to the wolf. Whenever he brought up the wolf, she laughed and acted like it was the most wonderful thing ever. Still, she was one of his few friends and he couldn't remain annoyed or angry at her for long. He figured that if it weren't _his_ office that was being broken into, he would be laughing his ass off at the situation also. 

That night, which was a full moon and Steve remained oblivious to this fact, he made his way back to the office with Natasha. They had gone out to grab some food before going back to work. They usually wouldn't go back to the office so late but they were drowning in work. Steve still hadn't finished eating his sandwich when he decided it was time to head back to the office. Natasha had agreed only to keep him from talking even more about their workload. 

As they were stepping out of the elevator, Natasha was cracking a joke. Steve was bubbling with laughter and too distracted to peer into his office before he fully stepped inside. He simply pushed open the door, laughter leaving his throat, his eyes trained on Natasha. He wouldn't have noted anything strange for a while, if it had not been for an overjoyed shout. 

"STEVE! Steeevee! Is it you Steve? Steven Rogers?" Out of the blue, two hands were on Steve's shoulders and his name kept being chanted over and over by whoever was touching him. 

Steve blinked and looked around wildly until he saw Bucky. His eyes widened when he saw the young man who had him by the shoulders and was absently jumping up and down as he repeated Steve's name. 

"What. . ? Who. . ?" Steve asked, feeling lost and slightly frightened of this stranger he had never seen before in his life. 

"You brought food!" the young man shouted, snatching Steve's sandwich. 

Steve was still too shocked to do anything but stare as Bucky ate his sandwich. The young man grinned when he was done eating and gave one last jump. "I've finally gotten to meet you! Hi, Steve!"

"Who are you?" the blonde asked, staring at the other man skeptically. His blues eyes looked at him from the top of his dark and messy hair, to his snug blue shirt, to his black jeans, and at last at his boots. He met the eyes of the stranger who had broken into his office and his breath caught in his throat. The stranger's eyes were gray, a stormy and incredibly familiar gray. 

"Am I having a nightmare? I've gone completely insane, haven't I?" Steve said aloud, feeling like he truly must have lost his mind. There was no way this _guy_ in his office had the same eyes as the wolf who broke into his office every month.

"I'm Bucky! I don't know if you're insane or not but. . ." Bucky shrugged and waved hello to Steve and then to Natasha. 

Natasha had remained surprisingly quiet during this whole exchange (if it could be called that) and now she chose to speak. "Steve, have you ever seen this guy before?" 

"Natasha, does it look like I know who he is?" Steve had to keep himself from saying "Do I look calm? I'm not calm because I don't know him!" But he knew saying that to her would not help the situation. 

"Why are you in my office?" Steve asked, turning to Bucky. 

Bucky once again shrugged and nonchalantly said, "I don't really know. There's something I like about it. I haven't stolen anything, in case you're wondering. I don't care bout your stuff." 

Steve wasn't sure how to react anymore. He turned to Natasha but she shrugged and turned towards the door. "He's your problem, Steve. I have work to do." 

The blonde couldn't believe the words of his friend. He was being abandoned with this _stranger_ who was in his office for no other reason than he simply _could_ be there. Steve turned his attention back to Bucky and tried to keep his cool. 

"Can you please leave? You're not supposed to be here. I have a lot of work to do." 

Bucky frowned and made an attempt to speak but thought better of it. He felt so excited that he was finally getting to talk with Steve but the other man didn't seem as pleased. Bucky wondered why Steve couldn't be as happy as he was. This was exciting to Bucky! After so many months he was finally sharing words with the man he had broken into the office of so many times. 

He wondered, briefly, what he should do. He looked behind him, at the sky out the window, and felt as if his time was running out. In just an hour and a half, he would be back to wolf form and something told him Steve would only freak out more if he saw him transform into a wolf. 

Knowing what the right thing to do was, Bucky did as Steve requested. He walked towards the door but not before glancing back one last time. His eyes met Steve's and he silently tried to tell him to let him stay, but the blonde simply looked away. Feeling less optimistic than just a few minutes before, Bucky left the human alone.

* * * * *

Exactly three months had gone past and Steve had not seen the wolf again. The workers at animal control were heartbroken over the disappearance of the wolf. And Steve, he didn't know what to think. He kept having the sensation that Bucky was somehow to blame for the disappearance of the wolf. Sure, he hadn't seen Bucky in three months either but. . . He wasn't sure if the disappearance of both the wolf and the guy was comforting or disappointing.

All Steve knew for a fact was that he could swear every month something in his office was out of place. He may no longer have a wolf in his office, but there was always something off about his office. Whether it was a stack of papers that had been moved, or a bag of chips that had been lazily thrown into a corner, or a misplaced piece of his clothing, there was always something that had been disturbed in his office. 

Steve wasn't sure if these small changes were the fault of the wolf or Bucky (or both) but he couldn't stop thinking about it. It had been three months and he still dreamed about the two of them. What haunted him the most before he went to sleep were those gray eyes, he could swear they belonged to Bucky _and_ the wolf. He wanted to stop thinking about them before he went to sleep, but the thoughts were always there. 

Natasha, on the other hand, was getting sick of Steve's whining. At first, she hadn't minded that much that he brought up the disappearance of the wolf and the strange guy but now it was downright annoying. She had more than once tried to get him to get over it but she couldn't manage to do so. He was obsessed and she couldn't figure out how to help. She figured the only solution was for either the wolf or Bucky to show up once more but she doubted that would happen. 

Steve knew Natasha was growing impatient with him but he couldn't help himself. He wanted to forget all about it but it was not possible. He needed to know why the wolf was no longer found in his office. 

So, on another full moon, Steve went for a walk in the town. He never really tried to find the wolf or Bucky but he found that if he went on walks, he could clear his mind. The light of the moon and the chill in the air helped his thoughts drift away and seem too far out of reach. 

In those moments, Steve almost felt sleepy but he never fell asleep. He was awake enough that he could walk straight and keep from bumping into anyone but not awake enough to know where he was heading to. It was not long before his feet took him exactly where he needed to be. 

Steve didn't realize where he was until he heard a ruffling of leaves. He straightened and peered around. He had stepped into the forest and only now was he aware of it. Quickly after this realization, he saw someone. It was quite clearly a male, and under close inspection, Steve realized the man was getting dressed. 

"Excuse me, are you alright?" Steve asked. He wasn't sure why he asked but he did it and he could hardly take the words back now. 

The male figure turned to face him quickly and Steve nearly had a heart attack. It was Bucky. Steve couldn't believe his eyes. He had found him! His surprise was such that he nearly tripped over his own two feet as he took a step forward. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. . . I don't want to bother you though so I'll just be heading out," Bucky said, pointing in the general direction of where civilization was. 

"No, you're-" Steve stammered and tried to get a hold of himself. His thoughts felt like fluffy little clouds that were out of reach and which he could not decipher. "You're not bothering me." 

Bucky gave a curt nod and shifted his weight from one foot to another. He gave a short wave and began to walk in the direction of the town. 

Inexplicably so, Steve felt the urge to not lose sight of Bucky. For so long he had waited to see him again that he couldn't fathom the thought of letting him go just like that. Sure, the first (and only) time they had met it had been a bizarre encounter but Bucky was his only shot at answers. 

"Wait!" Steve called out, jogging to catch up with Bucky's long strides. 

Bucky, skeptical at best, stopped walking and turned to look back at the blonde. He had purposefully tried to stay out of the way of the human. Steve clearly hadn't wanted to know any more about him and he hadn't thought it right to bother him any longer. He had still visited Steve's office but only when he was certain that the blonde would not see him. If he was being honest with himself, Bucky felt his first meeting with the human had been disappointing. 

"Are you hungry? There's this great pizza place in town," Steve said suddenly. His palms were sweating and he was looking around at everything except Bucky. For a moment his eyes were on the ground, then on a tree and then on the sky. Even he couldn't believe what he was saying. 

Bucky jumped slightly, startled suddenly at hearing the blonde's voice. He turned sharply to look at Steve and looked at him quizzically. The blonde still wasn't even glancing in Bucky's direction but Bucky could somehow sense the blonde's nerves. 

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to. . ." Bucky wasn't sure what to do in this sort of situation. His communication with humans was limited, at best, and he couldn't tell if this was some sort of trick. He didn't know if the right choice was to refuse Steve's offer or accept it. 

"I'm sure," Steve said quickly, way too quickly. He had again taken one step forward and had nearly tripped. He laughed nervously and ran a hand through his damp blonde hair. 

"Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, yeah," Steve said, nodding immediately. He could feel his ears turning red and was grateful for the darkness of the sky. He wasn't sure why he was acting like a total teenager but he knew he should get a grip. 

Bucky nodded at Steve and said, "Okay. I could eat, I'm hungry anyway." 

Steve said no reply to this and instead managed to take the lead. He walked ahead of Bucky, thankfully managing not to fall flat on his face, and before long they had made it back into civilization. Steve hadn't been to the forest in a long time but apparently he hadn't gone too deep into it to be totally lost. Once the town was in full view, it was rather easy to lead the way to the best pizzeria. 

Bucky followed in silence all along. He wasn't sure there was anything to say that wouldn't freak out Steve. He knew now that he had no idea how to carry out a "normal" conversation with a human. He figured that if he kept quiet then there were less chances he would scare Steve off. 

When they got to the pizza place, Bucky let Steve order and choose the table and pretty much do anything that involved any sort of decision. He sat down on a chair only after Steve had done the same. He wasn't sure what Steve wanted but he would not fight it. 

For a few minutes, there was an awkward silence. Neither of them bothered to break it for quite a while. In fact, the pizza arrived and that's when Steve figured he should start talking or they would remain quiet forever. So, Steve tried to carry on a casual conversation. He began with a relaxed and proper introduction. He asked Bucky if that was his real name, where he lived, what he liked to do in his spare time and countless other questions. When his truthful answers started to alarm him, he started talking about his own life. 

This monologue went on for a while. Steve was still very nervous and trying to avoid the fact that Bucky had said he lived in the forest and that his favorite thing to do was go on runs. So, Steve talked and talked and talked until he started telling Bucky about the wolf that had broken into his office time and time again. He was just about to say how the wolf hadn't shown up in three months when suddenly Bucky interrupted him. 

"That's me! I'm the wolf! You're talking about _me_!" Bucky was too excited to keep the emotion from showing in his tone. He was too caught up thinking that Steve was talking about _him_ to realize these news would be startling to the human. 

Steve's eyes widened for a second before he let out a choked laugh. "You're joking, right? You've got to be joking." 

Bucky shook his head, his eyes shining brightly. "No. I'm not joking, that really is me. I-" and then Bucky proceeded to tell Steve all about his monthly transformations and about how he had found his office by chance one day and how he had returned every time since. He told him all about his misplaced papers and how he had used whatever jacket he had left behind in his office and how he pretty much ate everything in sight. He told him basically everything. Sure, there wasn't much to tell, ninety percent of the time he was a wolf and didn't do much of importance, but still. . . 

By the time Bucky stopped talking, Steve sat frozen in his chair. He stared openly at Bucky and tried to figure out what his thoughts even were. He was so shocked that his thoughts had bubbled away and he was left speechless. He had half a mind to just stand up and _leave_ but for some reason he didn't. He was totally freaked out but he kept seeing Bucky's hopeful and bright eyes and couldn't find the strength to just storm off. 

"I'm gonna-" Steve stammered and then continued, "I'm gonna pay for the pizza. I'll be right back." 

He stood up, his chair nearly falling with the force and he stumbled away before he could make a bigger fool of himself. Bucky followed his movements with his gray eyes, still feeling rather hopeful. He hadn't realized quite yet that things had taken a turn towards the crazy. 

When Steve made it back to the table, he scratched the back of his head. "I should be going home. I have work tomorrow and. . ."

"Oh, okay. No problem," Bucky said, standing up quickly.

Steve nodded and, trying to be nice, said, "It was good talking to you. See you soon." 

The goodbye was visibly awkward but Bucky didn't realize this. When Steve walked out of the place, he followed suit. What Steve failed to notice was that Bucky followed him all the way to his house. Whenever Steve looked back, Bucky was long out of sight, but when Steve was back to looking forward, Bucky silently kept following. 

Bucky did not do this meaning any harm. He didn't know that following a human to their house could be considered a bad thing. He just thought that he wanted to be in the company of the human for a little while longer. He knew he would soon change and he wanted to do it somewhere he felt comfortable. Around Steve he felt comfort, even if the human did not feel the same.

* * * * *

Morning came and Steve got ready for work with all the calm in the world. He took a shower, got dressed and combed his blonde hair. Way in the back of his head were thoughts of Bucky and his confession of being the wolf. Steve just went about with his normal morning routine as if everything was fine.

He didn't notice anything was amiss until he opened the door of his house. He was about to take a step out when his eyes fell on the mass of fur lying before his door. He recognized the wolf automatically, how could he not? It was the only wolf he had ever been this close to and possibly the only wolf who looked like he had incredibly healthy and clean fur. 

His first instinct was to think that the wolf wasn't really there, it was a figment of his imagination. . . But when he thought about lightly touching the wolf with his shoe, he thought it would be rude. Instead, he crouched down and gently placed a hand on the wolf. 

The wolf jumped and looked back, gray eyes peering intently at Steve. The blonde removed his hand the instant the wolf moved but when he saw those eyes, he knew the truth. He refused to say it out loud (or even in his mind) but he was aware of it. 

"You can break into my office anytime, Buck. See you next month," Steve said. He smiled shyly at the wolf before he scratched the top of his head and scratched behind his ears.

Then, Steve got up and went to work. 

**THE END**

**Author's Note:**

> So, I lost my sanity writing this. Idk what it was or what in the hell but it happened. I hope it wasn't terrible.


End file.
